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Those who spend nothing will receive two new multiplayer maps, "Hill 331" and "Don River," alongside an unspecified list of "several improvements to the game." Further, the update also adds Steam Workshop integration to the recently-launched Company of Heroes 2World Builder construction suite.

As always in life, those who spend a bit of cash will be receiving more stuff. This "Two Fronts" DLC promotion includes all of the above content, as well the "Southern Fronts" Theater of War pack, which you can see in the above trailer.

The Southern Fronts pack adds 10 new scenarios to the game that drop players into the boots of either German or Soviet soldiers as they slowly grind toward victory through a number of battles that feature new tweaks to the Company of Heroes 2 formula. For example, deep mud may inhibit vehicle movement in these maps while also exposing their soft flanks to explosives. The Southern Fronts DLC will set you back $5.

Owners of the original Company of Heroes aren't left out of today's announcement. According to Sega, the original tactical strategy game will be adding improved "Steam functionality, such as secure leaderboards, battle and arbitration servers." This update, like the first we mentioned, is utterly free, and should be downloaded automatically the next time you fire up Company of Heroes.

Company of Heroes 2 will receive a new content addition next week said to add "a host of free content," alongside numerous items created by the game's devoted community.

Dubbed "World Builder," the crux of the addition is a feature that allows players to build their own World War II-era battlefields. Additionally, the update brings with it the new "Rails And Metal" and "Lazur Factory" maps - no, that's not a typo. Finally, four new Commanders are being added to Company of Heroes 2, two of which were designed by the game's community.

"We are excited to provide such a large content update to Company Heroes 2 players," stated executive producer Greg Wilson. "We are particularly proud to offer our community the much sought-after World Builder and are hoping to provide Steam Workshop integration and other mod features in the near future."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>company-of-heroescompany-of-heroes-2dlcpcsegastrategyMon, 04 Nov 2013 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/14/company-of-heroes-movie-will-arrive-on-dvd-blu-ray-feb-26/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/14/company-of-heroes-movie-will-arrive-on-dvd-blu-ray-feb-26/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/14/company-of-heroes-movie-will-arrive-on-dvd-blu-ray-feb-26/#commentsTHQ may have had its last stand, but the Company of Heroes movie is apparently still a go, as we've gotten word that it's still coming to DVD and Blu-ray on February 26. The full-length film, based on Relic Entertainment's critically acclaimed real-time strategy series (now owned by Sega), stars Tom Sizemore, Vinnie Jones, and Neal McDonough. It follows a band of soldiers trying to stop Nazi Germany from creating an atomic weapon during the Battle of the Bulge.

Will it be any good? We don't know yet. But if you want to honor the old THQ brotherhood (and get a nice taste of the setting before Company of Heroes 2 comes out), you can grab a copy of by the end of the month.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blu-raycompany-of-heroescompany-of-heroes-2dvdmicrosoftmoviepcplaystationps3releaserelicrelic-entertainmentsegathqtom-sizemorevinnie-jonesxboxThu, 14 Feb 2013 03:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/23/rumor-sega-purchases-relic-during-thq-auction/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/23/rumor-sega-purchases-relic-during-thq-auction/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/23/rumor-sega-purchases-relic-during-thq-auction/#commentsUpdate:A letter from THQ CEO Brian Farrell and president Jason Rubin to their employees appears to corroborate the below information, as well as provide further details regarding the results of the auction.

Sega may be the proud new owner of Relic Entertainment, based on initial signs coming out of this week's THQ asset auction. Relic developer Kyle Berndt has tweeted that he is now a Sega employee, indicating that the company may have been purchased by Sega during the auction proceedings.

No official announcements have been made regarding the fates of THQ's various studios and their respective intellectual property, but we're keeping our collective ears to the ground as more news continues to trickle down.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auctionCompany-of-HeroesrelicRelic-EntertainmentSEGATHQWarhammer-40KWed, 23 Jan 2013 15:09:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/05/company-of-heroes-movie-trailer-traps-soldiers-behind-enemy-line/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/05/company-of-heroes-movie-trailer-traps-soldiers-behind-enemy-line/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/05/company-of-heroes-movie-trailer-traps-soldiers-behind-enemy-line/#commentsThe last time THQ got involved in the movie business, things didn't turn out so well for the associated game. But we have faith all will be good in the adaptation of real-time strategy series Company of Heroes. This first trailer has it all: Nazis, explosions and Tom Sizemore squinting at stuff.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>company-of-heroescompany-of-heroes-2neal-mcdonoughpcreal-time-strategythqtom-sizemorevinnie-jonesworld-war-2ww2Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/steam-summer-sale-day-6-black-ops-spec-ops-limbo-and-other/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/steam-summer-sale-day-6-black-ops-spec-ops-limbo-and-other/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/steam-summer-sale-day-6-black-ops-spec-ops-limbo-and-other/#commentsAnother day passed, and your bank account is that much lighter, but Valve's annual Steam Summer Sale is back with a whole mess of new discounts. For instance, that copy of Train Simulator 2012 you've been holding out on? It's seeing a massive 90 percent discount, and will cost you just $3.49 if you snap it up soon.

Or how about that Wargame: European Escalation game you've had your eye on, eh? That's ... oh who're we kidding? You want Grand Theft Auto IV for your PC and you want it for like $5. Done. The same could be said for RTS classic Company of Heroes (just $2.50!) and recently released third-person shooter Spec Ops: The Line ($33.50). Head on over to the Steam Store for the full listings of sales, which expire tomorrow afternoon.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>company-of-heroesgrand-theft-auto-ivmacpcsaleSpec-Ops-the-Linesteamsteam-summer-salesteam-summer-sale-2012train-simulator-2012valvevalve-softwarewargame-european-escalationTue, 17 Jul 2012 15:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/entering-the-rzhev-meat-grinder-in-company-of-heroes-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/entering-the-rzhev-meat-grinder-in-company-of-heroes-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/22/entering-the-rzhev-meat-grinder-in-company-of-heroes-2/#commentsIf seeing Soviet forces engage the Germans in the PC-exclusive Company of Heroes 2 taught me anything, it's that the war would have be lost if I was at the helm of the world's defense.

At a pre-E3 event in Los Angeles last week, Vancouver-based developer Relic Entertainment revealed the newest entry in its strategy series. Company of Heroes was a landmark title for the developer, solidifying its presence in the genre with one of the best RTS games ever released, followed by standalone expansions. I sunk hours pushing Jerries back from the brink of world destruction in the original Company of Heroes and its expansions, but the newest game seems unrelenting.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Company-of-Heroescompany-of-heroes-2e3-2012pcRelic-EntertainmentTue, 22 May 2012 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/company-of-heroes-worth-every-penny-at-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/company-of-heroes-worth-every-penny-at-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/company-of-heroes-worth-every-penny-at-2/#commentsThis weekend, following the official announcement of the sequel, the Company of Heroes franchise is 80 percent off on Steam. The original game, which helped breathe new life into a tired genre and setting, is a mere $2. Two bucks! Two smackers! Dos dollars!

Got a little buffer in the budget to spend more? Well, the Opposing Fronts expansion can be bundled with the original game for $6, with the Tales of Valor expansion added for a total of $10. The deal lasts until May 14 and you don't want to miss out on these 1940s prices for video games. Don't think about that previous line too long.

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To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the Company of Heroes franchise is 80 percent off this weekend on Steam. When Relic developed the original game those many years ago, the WWII setting and RTS scene were both feeling tired, but Company of Heroes delivered a fresh take on the aging genre and delivered a graphically gorgeous experience that still holds up. You can own the intense, immense campaign now for $2.

If you're willing to spend more than a gallon of gas for tens of hours of refined RTS entertainment, the original game is bundled with expansion Opposing Fronts for $6, and with the Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor expansions for $10. If you have any interest in the RTS genre -- even if the WWII setting is a bit of a turn off -- don't miss out on Company of Heroes for $2.

Sure, playing as the Taliban might be taboo now, but give it about 60 years. The latest trailer for the free-to-play Company of Heroes Online (currently in open beta) slyly promotes the Nazis' Terror Division, showing that time heals all wounds when it comes to video game enemies.

The free-to-play Company of Heroes Online won't fully replace that disc copy of Company of Heroes you have, as there's still at least one important piece of content for which you'll need the disc -- even if that piece of content is a Company of Heroes Online extra.

"We are urging people to hang onto their CD keys," producer Greg Wilson told PC Gamer. "We don't have the details yet, but we really appreciate our current retail CoH fanbase, we love them and we recognise that they helped us get where we are today with this franchise. We want to make sure they feel appreciated, so there will be something special for people who are retail owners. News of that will come." So if you were going to shatter your disc in rage about the freemium followup, keep the CD key. Just in case.

As for people who haven't yet discovered Company of Heroes, and who play other free-to-play stuff on Facebook, Wilson hopes that some of the millions of players participating in social games will "get tired of that fast food style of gameplay, and they'll want to graduate to something a bit more - whether that's a triple-A PC title or something in between."

Not quite as much variety as the Steam sale, but what's there is well-priced. PC gamers, you have no excuse to bother with any of the "going outside" or fireworks this July 4th weekend -- not when there are all these great cheap games to play!

Company of Heroes Online features a persistent online world and, while being free to play, offers player customization through micro transactions. If you're unfamiliar with the franchise, you might want to check out an earlier version of the acclaimed WWII strategy title on Steam. Find the trailer after the break.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Company-of-HeroesCompany-of-Heroes-Onlinefree-to-playfreemiumRelicRelic-EntertainmentrtsShandaThu, 03 Jun 2010 10:37:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/weekend-steam-deal-company-of-heroes-75-off/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/weekend-steam-deal-company-of-heroes-75-off/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/weekend-steam-deal-company-of-heroes-75-off/#commentsValve has announced that this weekend will see Company of Heroes receive a steep discount on Steam. The original game as well as the Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor expansions will be available for 75 percent off the usual price.

All three, usually packaged for $49.99, will be available for a paltry $12.99. For those out there looking for a real-time strategy fix, it looks like your weekend is booked.

It's been two years since Relic staffers John Johnson and Drew Dunlop (producer and lead programmer on Company of Heroes, respectively) left the company to set up their own, Smoking Gun Interactive. As we reported back in May, the studio has teamed with cyberpunk trailblazer and author Douglas Rushkoff to create an array of multimedia products based on its yet-to-be-revealed premiere franchise. This week, we get a look at what they've been up to with the first of four sneak previews of X, a graphic novel launching next year that lays the foundation for Smoking Gun's new IP.

Hidden within the preview (on page 13, actually) is a link to a tie-in ARG that borrows the opening of the classic text adventure, Zork. This Easter egg is actually pretty appropriate, given that Rushkoff coined the term "viral media." We've gotten as far as "decoding" the Declaration of Independence, which, at least in the conspiracy-filled universe of X, contains warnings of aliens among us and a coming global tyranny. (As opposed to more modern government documents, which warn of a steep fine for filing your taxes late.)

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>argcompany-of-heroesdouglas-rushkoffgraphic-novelsmoking-gun-interactivexWed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/ken-levine-lists-favorite-games-again-changes-mind-on-a-few/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/ken-levine-lists-favorite-games-again-changes-mind-on-a-few/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/ken-levine-lists-favorite-games-again-changes-mind-on-a-few/#comments
Ken Levine plays video games. Shocking, we know! Speaking with IndustryGamers, Levine, who is currently working on a super-secret project, listed his ten favorite games. Occupying the top five spots in descending order are: World of Warcraft, Civilization, Beyond Good & Evil, Ultima Underworld and Company of Heroes.

Back in 2007, Levine produced a similar list for MSNBC. His top five have apparently shifted in the last two years, though, as Heroes of Might and Magic 2 and Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past have fallen even beyond the BioShock developer's top ten. How hast these games forsaken thee, Ken? What hast they done for thou to banish them from thy heart likest so?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-bostonbeyond-good-and-evilcivilizationcompany-of-heroesfav-5irrational-bostonirrational-gamesken-levineultima-underworldworld-or-warcraftwowWed, 28 Oct 2009 02:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/09/thq-and-windysoft-sending-company-of-heroes-online-to-south-kore/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/09/thq-and-windysoft-sending-company-of-heroes-online-to-south-kore/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/09/thq-and-windysoft-sending-company-of-heroes-online-to-south-kore/#comments
Yesterday, THQ and Shanda announced their intentions to bring upcoming free-to-play Company of Heroes Online to South Korea via publishing partner WindySoft. Like Relic's PC-only classic Company of Heroes, COHO is an RTS game set during the Second World War, but the additions of a persistent world and expanded player customization (read: microtransactions) aim to set the online iteration apart.

Currently, no release date is set nor have plans been announced to bring the game to the West. Between Shanda's other free-to-play MMO, King of Fighters World, Namco's Katamari Online, and now this, we're starting to feel like Asia's the rich kid down the block getting all the games we could never afford. Can we come over and play, Asia? Please?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asiabusinesscompany-of-heroescompany-of-heroes-onlinedigital-distributionkatamari-onlineking-of-fighters-worldmicrotransactionsmmopcrelicshandathqwindysoftwwiiWed, 09 Sep 2009 10:44:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/28/steam-weekend-deal-25-off-thq-pack-includes-dawn-of-war-ii/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/28/steam-weekend-deal-25-off-thq-pack-includes-dawn-of-war-ii/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/28/steam-weekend-deal-25-off-thq-pack-includes-dawn-of-war-ii/#comments
This weekend's Steam deal focuses on titles from THQ, as the ginormous bundle that is the THQ Collector Pack has been discounted 25%. The bundle (which now features Dawn of War II) is packed to the gills with content -- so much so that a simple paragraph alone can't describe the plethora of titles available, forcing us to utilize the bullet-point method. Here's what you'll get:

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>company-of-heroesdawn-of-war-2dealdealsfrontlinesfrontlines-fuel-of-warjuiced-2-hot-import-nightsopposing-frontssteamthqvalveFri, 28 Aug 2009 14:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/28/smoking-gun-cyberia-author-rushkoff-partner-for-games-books/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/28/smoking-gun-cyberia-author-rushkoff-partner-for-games-books/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/28/smoking-gun-cyberia-author-rushkoff-partner-for-games-books/#commentsSmoking Gun, an independent studio formed in 2007 by Relic Entertainment vets, has landed a new deal with tech evangelist Douglas Rushkoff, with the award-winning author set to pen the story for an as-yet-unannounced property. Details remain light, though Rushkoff notes his narrative will be used in multiple games as well as related books.

If that's not enough to interest you, consider that Rushkoff, whose works include cyber culture novel Cyberia and the DC comic series Testament, is set to lend words to an entire range of titles "across a range of media formats that can feed off one another and exist concurrently." Honestly, we're just as confused as you are, but once the headache stops and the Advil kicks in we'll reach out to Smoking Gun for more.

In the midst of THQ's pink-slip-a-palooza, the publisher has announcedCompany of Heroes: Tales of Valor, a standalone expansion to its excellent RTS series (don't let the normally tired WWII setting turn you off). Tales of Valor will stay in-house at Relic Entertainment and the game will feature three campaigns, new multiplayer modes and a feature called "direct-fire."

Considering the intensity and length of campaigns Relic squeezed into Company of Heroes and its first expansion, Opposing Fronts, another expansion by that team is more than welcome. The game is expected to invade retail stores in spring of 2009. No price has been announced at this time, but Amazon lists it on pre-order for $30. We've clicked our engineers to make listening posts and hope to gather more intelligence soon.

In the world of video game digital distribution, it's easy to think that all roads lead to Steam, but that's not necessarily the case as THQ has reminded us of an alternative in GamersGate, noting that it has inked a deal with the service to offer a selection of its PC titles for online purchase and download. The games will be available worldwide, save for those poor souls in Australia and New Zealand, who have been turned away like orphans to a soup kitchen.

According to GamersGate, the company will initially offer Company of Heroes and Supreme Commander, as well as their recent expansions. While neither title has popped up on the GamersGate website yet, a quick check did reveal S.T.A.L.K.E.R. available for the bargain basement price of $19.99. Other THQ offerings planned to be added eventually include Full Spectrum Warrior and Juiced 2, as well as next month's Frontlines: Fuels of War. It's encouraging to see competition in the digital space, and assuming this and similar deals feature exclusivity clauses, it will be curious to see if we are on the verge of a hard fought digital distribution battle royal. 40 Quatloos on the newcomer!

A rather cryptic press release was sent out today hinting at a new development studio led by the producer of the "most critically acclaimed real-time strategy game of all time". According to Gamerankings, that title goes to Company of Heroes, and the producer is John Johnson. The website Exoriare.com was listed in the release (a quick whois search reveals Johnson owns the domain), inviting everyone to "confirm the first clue and break the puzzle".

Pick apart the password to gain access to the map shown above. We're assuming the "activation threshhold" shown at the bottom of the screen, 12211, is a hit counter and not the date January 22, 2011. Once the number is met, one of two things will happen: candy will rain from the sky, or a few more clues about the studio will be revealed. Sounds like a win-win situation.

THQ has recently released their second quarter results, and shareholders should be happy. THQ's quarterly sales have increased by more than 50% from $142.7 million to $240.2 million. The improvement in net income is something to celebrate as well; THQ pulled a $12.6 million profit this quarter compared to a $1.4 million loss last year. While this is nice for anyone holding THQ shares, what does this mean for gamers?

THQ has specifically named Company of Heroes, Metacritic average of 94% and Saint's Row, Metacritic average of 81%, as the key reasons for the boost in income. Gamers should rejoice when a gaming company posts gains in profits on the backs of original software, as opposed to licensed title shovelware. Posting profits on original titles could push further development of new titles.

Do you think THQ's profit boost on fresh ideas will convince other game companies to try the same? Or will THQ's success go ignored, continuing the long standing practice of selling formulaic games for quick profits? THQ did show strong sales with Cars, so until licensed games stop selling, publishers will still place their money in the safe investment.